CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BARS

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are a simple & delicious ripe banana recipe that’s even better than banana bread! Great for breakfast, lunch and even dessert! Check out all the 5 star reviews- everyone raves about these Chocolate Chip Banana Bars!

Best ripe banana recipe ever

This recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bars is my favorite banana recipe ever. Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a snack! They are delicious, filling, and your whole family will love them. I love that they have a ton of bananas in them. I like to bake a batch, cut them into squares and freeze them individually for when we’re on-the-go!

I’ve made these tasty treats for years and our family can’t get enough! They’re perfect for a snack, but I also like to eat them for breakfast. They’re chock full of bananas and I use whole wheat flour to make them more filling. I know the addition of cinnamon may seem a little different, but I encourage you to try it. It adds just a nice pop of flavor.

How to make Healthy Banana Bars

There are several things you can swap out in this recipe to make them healthier. Here are some ideas:

–I use brown sugar instead of regular granulated sugar to add more sweetness with less sugar. That being said, you can decrease the sugar to 1/2 cup. Just make sure you’re using VERY ripe bananas to add sweetness there.

–You can replace half or all of the oil with applesauce. I’m more of a fan of using half coconut oil and half applesauce, personally.

–Use almond or cashew milk in place of regular milk

–Swap out regular flour with almond flour. Just add a rounded teaspoon of baking soda instead.

–Add in 2-3 TBSP of ground flax! No one will notice and it gives an added boost of fiber.

–Check out my double chocolate version of this recipe. I added cocoa powder and tons of ground spinach. No one can taste the difference and if you blend the spinach small enough (blending it with the coconut oil helps) you can’t see the difference either.

How can I ripen bananas quickly?

Ripe bananas are used in banana bread because they have a stronger, more pronounced flavor. There are several ways to help bananas ripen faster so that you can make banana bread. Here are my preferred methods:

Ripen bananas in the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bananas peel and all on the parchment and bake for 30-40 minutes, until peels are black & shiny. Let cool 1 hour and proceed with banana bread recipe.

Ripen bananas in a paper bag. If you have more time, place bananas in a paper bag with an apple. Fold and secure closed. I usually leave bananas like this for a full day, then proceed with the Banana Nut Bread recipe.

Chocolate Chip Banana Recipe ingredients

Here’s what you need to make our Chocolate Chip Banana Bars~

–5 very ripe bananas (about 1 2/3 cup) – yes, you can use frozen bananas! Once you’re ready to use the frozen bananas, thaw them out slightly, then peel them and place the bananas in a bowl. Once they’re fully thawed, drain out the liquid and proceed with the recipe.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top. Bake 18-22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely and cut into squares.

Yields 24 bars. Scroll down for PRINTABLE RECIPE.

I like to make a batch, then cool, cut and freeze in individual baggies. Since they’re filling, they make a wonderful snack, breakfast or school lunch addition.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BARS

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are a simple & delicious ripe banana recipe that's even better than banana bread! Great for breakfast, lunch and even dessert! Check out all the 5 star reviews- everyone raves about these Chocolate Chip Banana Bars!

Have more ripe bananas? Here are our favorite RIPE BANANA RECIPES:

Can you use frozen bananas in banana bars?

A lot of people freeze over ripe bananas to use them later on in banana bars. It’s a simple way to amass a collection of ripe bananas to use in this recipe. you don’t even have to peel the bananas prior to freezing! Once you’re ready to use them in this banana bars recipe, thaw them out slightly, then peel them and place the bananas in a bowl. Once they’re fully thawed, drain out the liquid and proceed with the recipe.

Can you freeze Chocolate Chip Banana Bars?

Yes! I freeze these banana bars often! My favorite way to freeze them is to cut them into 2″-3″ squares and place in a small baggie. Place all of the individual baggies in a larger ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Then you have individual servings of chocolate chip banana bars that are perfect for an on-the-go snack or school lunch! You can also freeze a half pan of these banana bars. Instead of baking in a 10×15 pan, bake them in 2 quarter bakers sheets or 9×13 pans. Simply cool fully, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Are banana bars gluten free?

My traditional recipe for chocolate chip banana bars does contain gluten, however you can substitute a gluten-free flour blend or use almond flour instead. If you swap out regular flour with almond flour, just add a rounded teaspoon of baking soda instead.

Comments

I just made these with a few modifications. I used the coconut oil, almond milk, substituted quinoa flour, added about 2T almond butter, about a 1/2C quick oats and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. I increased the milk slightly to account for the extra dry ingredients. They baked up beautifully!

Had five ripe bananas in fridge (and a banana bread frozen) so goggled a new recipe for something different. This came up. Easy to whip up, did not have mini chips so used leftover regular chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. Baked up beautifully, waiting to cool before cutting and trying, so excited!

First time leaving a reply! Made these tonight! They turned out great! About an inch or so thick and soft! (baked in disposable)… I used about 41/2 bananas(non frozen), I subbed out oil for applesauce and added finley chopped walnuts as well… baked for about 25 minutes. Yummm!☺️

I made this, I subbed the flour for Doves Farm gluten free flour blend (plain + baking powder), and I used olive oil not coconut oil. I also only had 3 and a half bananas to hand. Came out perfectly!! I don’t think it will last long enough to freeze!